Out now on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, ‘Hitman 2’ is the sequel to the first ‘Hitman’ game from 2016 and feels much more like season 2 of that game, which was originally episodic. This time around the developers, IO Interactive, have released the entire game at once which feels a little more suited to this type of sandbox game. The premise of the game is also similar where you play as Agent 47, a hitman who is under the orders of a secret organisation to take down various targets in different locations.
Much like a roguelike, each level is designed to be played over and over again. You start off each level with a story mission where you will need to assassinate certain targets, which can be done in a variety of ways from completing lengthy side stories to just throwing an explosive duck into the target’s path and watching the destruction unfold. The game gives you a choice to either go for the straightforward option or something slightly more elaborate, with certain methods being quite extra and entertaining to watch.
After the main missions there are then contracts and special missions based in the map, so you can constantly level yourself up and increase mastery in each level which will unlock new items and suits. There are also elusive target missions – time-based missions to complete to compete to get the highest score around the world and unlock very special gear for your agent.
The gameplay is, of course, very single player-focused, where you will be spending a lot of time in each level sneaking around, changing outfits to get into prohibited areas, and finding opportunities to kill your target. There is a great sense of achievement every time you succeed, with some of the levels being quite tricky and requiring strong foresight on the player’s behalf.
The final mode added to the game is Ghost Mode, where two players are on the same map hunting the same targets, with the first one successfully killing 5 targets becoming the winner. This works surprisingly well, as you need to think fast and make quick decisions as to not fall behind in points, making it a fun challenge to pursue. This is only available at the moment on one of the maps but IO Interactive plan to add a lot of more content over the coming months, so watch this space.
The only issue with the game itself is that it does feel more like a ‘Hitman 1.5’ rather then 2 – where it’s lacking is that not much has been changed or added mechanically to the game. This is fine for people who just wanted a season 2 of ‘Hitman’, so to speak, but don’t expect anything revolutionary from the new game. Thankfully the first game was really good anyway, so following in its footsteps isn’t such a bad thing.
‘Hitman 2’ plays it very safe, but graphically it’s very polished, and the concept of the game is fun. There’s always something new to try out or some gruesome or hilarious way to eliminate the next target, making it a game you can play for hours on end without getting bored.
★★★★☆
Hannah Read
Hitman 2 at CeX
